{"id":286316,"date":"2026-05-31T10:39:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T10:39:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/?p=286316"},"modified":"2026-05-31T10:39:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T10:39:23","slug":"leaders-identities-and-masses-psychology-of-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/leaders-identities-and-masses-psychology-of-politics\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaders, Identities and Masses: The Psychology of Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">A significant part of political discussions are based on election results, alliances, polls and internal party balances. However, modern political psychology tells us something very different: Societies often follow identities, not ideas.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Politics is therefore not only a matter of economics, law or public administration. It is also a process of managing human psychology, sense of belonging and collective identities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">It is possible to see the same reality when we look at the political debates in Turkey today. Many developments within the Republican People's Party (CHP), from the government-opposition relations to the absolute nullity ruled by the 36th Civil Chamber of Ankara BAM on May 21, 2026 and the debate on the chairman, should be read not only in their legal or political dimensions, but also in their psychological dimensions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><b>Why is Identity Politics so Powerful?<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">The psychoanalyst Erik Erikson and the political psychology researchers who followed him have shown that people do not live with only individual identities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">People at the same time;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">religion,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">ethnicity,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">national,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">cultural,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">ideological<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">they carry identities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">These affiliations may be invisible in normal times. However, in times of crisis, they can suddenly take center stage in politics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">This is precisely what Vam\u0131k Volkan defines as \u201clarge group identity\u201d. Under normal circumstances, people do not wake up in the morning feeling \u201cI am a Turk\u201d, \u201cI am a CHP member\u201d, \u201cI am a conservative\u201d or \u201cI am a social democrat\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">But in times of social crisis, identities become visible.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">When society feels threatened, people start behaving not as individuals but as members of the group to which they belong.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">This is where the real influence of political leaders comes into play.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><b>What Do Leaders Do?<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Politicians often appear to be making policy. However, a significant number of successful leaders actually manage emotions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">A leader;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">can magnify fear,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">can reduce fear,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">can increase hope,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">can organize anger,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">can reinforce a sense of victimization,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">can build a shared story of the future.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">It is therefore not only what leaders say that political scientists study.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">What matters is what emotion what they say stirs in society.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><b>From Atat\u00fcrk to Mandela: Leaders Constructing Identity<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Mustafa Kemal Atat\u00fcrk did not only establish a new state after the War of Independence.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">At the same time, he tried to build a new national identity out of a disintegrated imperial society.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Nelson Mandela similarly tried to forge a common South African identity rather than directing the anger of the black majority against the white minority.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">The main characteristic of such leaders is that they try to unite society around a common goal.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\">A significant part of the debates in the CHP has actually turned into a discussion of legitimacy and belonging. While one side seeks to preserve the party's historical memory and institutional continuity, the other side believes that it represents the will for change and new political energy. For this reason, congresses, court decisions or general presidential debates are not only organizational issues. They are also a reflection of the party base's different answers to the questions \u201cWhat is CHP?\u201d and \u201cWhat kind of a party should CHP be?\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\">Therefore, the debate in the CHP is not only between individuals, but also a psychological search for direction on the future of the party's identity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><b>Trump and Erdo\u011fan: The Power of the Politics of Belonging<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Donald Trump's rise cannot be explained by economic reasons alone.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Trump told millions of Americans that they are \u201cforgotten people\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">He established a strong psychological bond with the electorate that supported him.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Similarly, Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan cannot be considered merely as a party leader.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Its nearly quarter-century-long political influence can be attributed to its ability to meet the historical belonging, perceptions of victimization and search for representation of certain social segments.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Therefore, support for or reaction against Erdo\u011fan often goes beyond classical political preferences.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">For supporters, an identity of belonging is formed, while for opponents, a similar counter-identity is formed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><b>The Controversy in CHP: Just a Leadership Struggle?<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">From a political psychology perspective, there are significant differences between the leadership styles represented by Kemal K\u0131l\u0131\u00e7daro\u011flu and \u00d6zg\u00fcr \u00d6zel.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Kemal K\u0131l\u0131\u00e7daro\u011flu's leadership is more oriented towards reducing social polarization, establishing dialogue between different segments of society and easing political tensions. His \u201chalalization\u201d discourse was one of the most prominent examples of this. In this respect, K\u0131l\u0131\u00e7daro\u011flu presented a leadership model that aims to heal social wounds and build trust between different identities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The leadership style represented by \u00d6zg\u00fcr \u00d6zel is more mobile, more visible and more mobilizing. Rallies, squares, mass participation and high political energy are the key elements of this approach. This model aims to strengthen the sense of common struggle among voters and increase political participation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Therefore, the debate within the CHP should not only be seen as a competition between two leaders. In fact, two different psychological needs are confronting each other. On the one hand, there is the search for trust, consensus and institutional stability; on the other, there is the expectation of change, struggle and political mobilization. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><b>Why Do Masses Rally Around Leaders?<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">As Gustave Le Bon pointed out more than a century ago, the masses are often driven not by rational calculations but by emotional processes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">In times of crisis, people turn to powerful symbols rather than complex explanations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Flags,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">slogans,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">heroes,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">stories of victimization,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">common enemies,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">common hopes<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">These are the basic ingredients of political movements.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">This is why elections often take place not between economic programs but between competing narratives.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"western\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><b>Conclusion Politics is a Struggle for Identity<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Many political developments in Turkey and around the world cannot be explained solely by law, economics or electoral mathematics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">People often act not out of self-interest but for the identities to which they feel they belong.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">This is where leaders come in.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Some manage the fears of society.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Some of them their hopes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Some of them are angry.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Others dream of a shared future.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Therefore, when evaluating a leader, it is not enough to look only at how many elections he or she has won.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">The question is this:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">What has it strengthened in the psychology of society?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">Because history shows that it can be politicians who govern states.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><a name=\"Bookmark\"><\/a> <span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman, serif;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria, serif;\">But it is leaders who can change the way people answer the question \u201cwho are we?\u201d that transform societies. <\/span><\/span>Because politics often begins not at the ballot box, but in the minds and hearts of people. Leaders may win or lose elections. But they leave their mark on history to the extent that they can change how a society defines itself.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Siyasi tart\u0131\u015fmalar\u0131n \u00f6nemli bir b\u00f6l\u00fcm\u00fc se\u00e7im sonu\u00e7lar\u0131, ittifaklar, anketler ve parti i\u00e7i dengeler \u00fczerinden y\u00fcr\u00fct\u00fcl\u00fcyor. Oysa modern siyasal psikoloji bize \u00e7ok farkl\u0131 bir \u015fey s\u00f6yl\u00fcyor: Toplumlar \u00e7o\u011fu zaman fikirlerin de\u011fil, kimliklerin pe\u015finden giderler. Bu nedenle siyaset yaln\u0131zca ekonomi, hukuk veya kamu y\u00f6netimi meselesi de\u011fildir. Ayn\u0131 zamanda insan psikolojisinin, aidiyet duygusunun ve kolektif kimliklerin y\u00f6netilmesi s\u00fcrecidir. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[286],"tags":[15,78,288],"class_list":["post-286316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-yazarlar","tag-chp","tag-kemal-kilicdaroglu","tag-ozgur-ozel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286316"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":286318,"href":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286316\/revisions\/286318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halkweb.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}